CAT Dealers, Foundation Add More Than $150,000 in Fiscal Support

A longstanding alliance that prepares Pennsylvania College of Technology students for careers in a variety of fields will continue with the recent donation of $151,076 from the Caterpillar Foundation and a consortium of regional dealerships.

Cleveland Brothers Equipment Co. Inc., Alban CAT, H.O. Penn Machinery Inc. Ransome CAT and Southworth-Milton Inc. donated a total of $93,706 to help students in the college’s diesel technology, heavy construction equipment technology and on-site power generation majors. Matching funds amounting to $58,000 were provided through the Caterpillar Foundation.

“Since Ransome CAT became involved with Penn College in 1995, we have relied on scholarship students to help fill our need of personnel trained in the basics for heavy equipment and power generation technicians,” said Ron Garber, Ransome’s fluids lab general manager and Whitehall/Fleetwood regional manager.

“Throughout those years, whether in good economic climates or bad, we have remained involved and committed to the excellent programs the college has to offer with funds and time spent on advisory boards. We have found that being committed for the long haul pays huge dividends when it comes time to hire, especially when economic conditions improve.”

As anyone involved with recruiting can attest, he noted, there is a huge gap of qualified personnel to fill current positions.

“We have found that Penn College’s students get up-to-speed quicker with their jobs, get on their own faster in performing their duties and have a better understanding with basic component and troubleshooting knowledge than mechanically inclined new hires off the street with no training,” Garber added.

“And we cannot say enough about the importance of the relationships we enjoy with the college, including faculty and staff. The level of commitment is high and each person is dedicated to and believes in the mission of Penn College. Our intentions are to continue this relationship for as long as we have need of well-trained people for our industry.”

The financial commitment – delivered during a Caterpillar advisory meeting prior to one of the college’s semi-annual career fairs – amounts to more than $2.1 million since 1994. Caterpillar dealers historically have supplemented that financial contribution with donated and loaned equipment, faculty training, scholarship assistance and technical advice beyond measure.

“It’s gratifying to note that students have benefited from the generosity of our dealer consortium members for decades,” said Mary A. Sullivan, executive director of Penn College’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center and assistant dean of transportation and natural resources technologies. “That speaks volumes for their generosity and for the quality of our program. We look forward to a continued partnership with these industry representatives.”

Also at the meeting, Cleveland Brothers was presented with a plaque acknowledging 20 years’ participation in providing “student sponsorships, instructional materials, technical equipment, curriculum development and faculty development funds” in support of Penn College.